Due Or Die

Tom laughed. “You’ll never forget those.”

“They’re burned on my retinas,” Sully agreed. He turned to Lindsey to explain. “We were on an overnight fishing trip on my boat, and when we decided to do some night fishing, he showed up on deck in these neon yellow pajamas. I’m pretty sure he scared all of the fish away.”

They both chuckled and Lindsey smiled. She could see there was a strong friendship between them. They looked to be about the same age, but where Tom’s blond hair was thinning at the top and his middle was developing a decided paunch, Sully’s thick chestnut curls barely showed any gray and he had the build of a man much younger than he was. She supposed that working outside kept him trim. Not that she thought about him or where he worked or his physique…much.

Thankfully, the puppy was not to be ignored, however, and he wriggled out of Sully’s arms to check out the newcomer.

Tom crouched down on the floor so as to be level with the puppy and held out his hand. The dog sniffed and licked and wriggled closer to the good doctor.

Tom ran his hands over him and listened to his heart and lungs with his stethoscope. He took the puppy’s temperature, apologizing for having to be so rude. The puppy had a hard time staying still, but Tom talked to him in a soothing voice, and Lindsey could swear the puppy was trying his hardest to be good.

When he finished the exam, the dog stood up on his hind legs and licked Tom’s face, and he simply said, “Oh, thank you, buddy. You’re a good dog, aren’t you?”

The puppy wagged and barked in agreement. Tom’s way with animals was amazing, and Lindsey knew if she were a dog, she’d probably try to get him to adopt her.

“You’re not looking for a dog by any chance, are you?” she asked.

“Thanks but, no,” he said with a grin. “With that litter of nine we just delivered, I doubt we’ll be taking in any strays any time soon. Gina and I are pretty sure having a baby will be a snap after this.”

“Oh?” Sully asked.

“Not that we’re having a baby just yet,” Tom said. He looked embarrassed and both Sully and Lindsey grinned at him.

“So, I heard this guy was dumped at the library?” Tom asked, obviously hoping to change the subject.

“Shoved in the book drop,” Lindsey confirmed. “How did you hear?”

“News travels pretty fast in Briar Creek,” he said. “Well, that and Mrs. Holcomb was in the library when he made his appearance and she brought her dachshund in this afternoon.”

“Tinkerbelle?” Sully asked.

“That’s the one,” Tom said. “I keep telling her that she can’t dress her up in a pink tutu or Tinkerbelle’s going to get depressed, but she doesn’t listen.”

“Really, she would be so much happier in purple,” Sully joked.

“I keep saying that,” Tom returned. Then he turned to Lindsey and asked, “So, what are you going to name him?”

“I’m not naming him,” she said. “That will be up to his new owners.”

“Any takers yet?” Tom asked.

“No, but there will be.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

Tom gave her a dubious look.

“What?” Lindsey asked.

“Well, I’m thinking what you’ve got here is a mutt,” he said. “A lot of people won’t take mutts.”

“But he’s so sweet.”

As if he knew she was talking about him, the puppy wiggled his way across the exam room to her and sat on her foot. Lindsey tried to ignore the way he gazed up at her, but still she felt the need to scratch his ears in reassurance.

“Well, there’s one other problem,” Tom said. “He looks to be a mix of a pit bull and a schnauzer. Pit bulls, even half breeds, have a pretty bad reputation, and they’re hard to find good homes for because people either want them for the wrong reasons, to be aggressive, or they are afraid of them.”

“But that’s ridiculous. Who could be afraid of him?” Lindsey asked, kneeling down beside the dog, who licked her face and thumped his tail. “He has the nicest disposition.”

“Well, he’s a puppy,” Tom said. “At a guess, since he still has his puppy teeth, I’d put him between three and four months. He’s going to get bigger and stronger and harder to find a home for.”

“No worries,” Lindsey said stubbornly. “He’ll also get cuter and more loyal. I’ll find a great home for him. You’ll see.”

Tom smiled at her. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Sully was smiling, too.

“Oh, quit it,” she said. “I’m not keeping him.”

To their credit, both men refrained from comment.

“I’ll keep my ears open. If I hear about anyone looking for a pup, I’ll let them know you’ve got a good one,” Tom said.

“Thanks,” Lindsey said and shook his hand. “Come on, little fella, let’s show you your temporary home.”

Lindsey wasn’t positive but she was pretty sure he waggled his eyebrows at her. She plopped him in the tote bag and handed it to Sully so she could pay the bill.

Sully and the dog waited for her by the door, and they all stepped out into the cold night air together.

“Can I give you a lift?” he asked as they headed down the walk toward his truck.

“Thanks, but I’d feel silly taking a ride for just a few houses.”

He nodded and an awkward silence fell between them.

At the risk of making an uncomfortable moment worse, Lindsey shifted the tote bag on her shoulder and said, “So, what brought you out here tonight?”

“You,” he said.

CHAPTER 12

BRIAR CREEK

PUBLIC LIBRARY

Whatever she had been expecting, that had not been it. Instead of asking an open-ended follow-up question like any good librarian, Lindsey had merely gulped and stuttered and shouldered the tote bag with the wiggling puppy, and with an awkward wave that must have had all the grace of a pimply twelve-year-old, she set off down the street toward her apartment.

She had seen Sully’s slow smile as she departed, red-faced and stammering, and she knew he was amused by her.

Good grief, how would she ever face the man again?

Her reaction had been so, well, lame. What if he had just been being neighborly and he meant he’d been checking on her because he knew she biked home and she’d left her bike at the library tonight? He might not have meant you as in he was interested.

Lindsey looked down into the bag where the puppy was trying to stand and groaned. “I am so embarrassed.”

As if he completely understood because it happened all the time, the puppy licked her hot face and Lindsey laughed. “Make an ass of yourself frequently, do you?”

She felt the puppy’s tail thump against her hip and she felt immediately better.

“Come on, you’re going to need to work some charm on my landlady so she’ll let you stay. And here’s a tip, don’t piddle in the house.”

A short yip was his only reply as they stepped into the foyer. The house was quiet. Lindsey wondered if Carrie was holed up with Nancy. If so, she didn’t want to disturb them. Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted to sneak the dog upstairs and then come tell Nancy he was here. Sort of give her a few minutes to digest the situation before she was confronted with his furriness.